The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-11-02
A Word to Mothers.

Mothers, be kind to your children.
Many mothers who read this line will
pass it by, thinking, as a matter of
course, that it cannot apply to them.
They clothe and feed their children;
they send them to school; they allow
them time for play and recreation.
What more is required?
But there are mothers who do all
this and yet are not kind to their chill
dren. How many little heart has
ached with care and pain Gas hard for
the childish heart to bear as are our
trials to us) who, rather than 90 to
mamma, would fret and grieve all alone.
If you would make your children
happy you must win their confidence.
You must teach them to trust you
You must ever be ready to listen to
their joys or griefs. Many mothers,
worn and weary with the heavy bur-
dens of the households; out of temper
because things go astray, often speak
quickly and harshly, without really in
tending to do so. How often we hear
such words as " Don't bother me; Pm
too busy to listen to you'll" or " You
always come tormenting me just when
I'm so busy" and the like. Little do
such mothers imagine how they wound
the hearts of their little ones, and in
stead of binding the children closer to
them as the years go by they are caus-
ing them to drift farther and farther
away.
Some years ago my neighbours little
girl died. She was good little thing,
with tender, clinging, affectionate
nature. Her mother, though good
hearted woman, never understood her
and often unconsciously wounded that
tender little heart.
When dying the minister of the
church where she went called to see
her. " Essie, DEAR" he said, " do you
know that you are going to heaven?"
She opened her eyes and looked at
him for a moment and then closed them
YEARLY, saying: Will / be in any
body's way there?"
Her mother, although careful of her
bodily comfort, never thought of any
thing else, and often, when Essie would
ask her questions or hover around her
while at work, would say, " Oh! do go
out and play; you are dhCayS in my
wayW Imagine that poor mothers
feelings when her little one said those
dying words! She had, she thought,
always been good to her children, but
here was her child, dying, feeling al
most glad to go because she imagined
she had always been in her mothers
way. Well, hadn't her mother said so?
Yes, to be sure she had, but then she
didn't mean it. This is Just the point.
Mothers must not say to their children
what they do not mean.
Children are trusting little things,
and drink in what we say, believing
everything, until after series of de-
ceptions being practiced upon them
they learn to distrust everything.
Make truth the basis of all you dc
where children are concerned. They
will soon find you out when you tell
them what is untrue and will not be-
lieve you again, even if you do tell
them the truth. Then, again, they
may initiate you, and how can you cor
rect in them what you have actually
taught them by your own example?
Some years ago | took friends lit.
tie girl to have her picture taken. She
wouldn't sit still, so, after repeated eff
forts and failures to make her do so,
said:
CHOW, if you sit still without moving
and watch that little window (meaning
the front of the camera) little bird
will come out and whistle"
She was interested Immediately, and
sat like a statute, watching " that little
window" She was so still that the
photographer succeeded in getting a
very good picture. l had accomplished
my end and forgot all about the little
bird.
"Come," said 1, "now we will &C
home and get some dinner"
She looked up at me in amazement
saying: "Me's waiting for the little
bird"
Come" said |, 81 guess the birt
has flown away" But still she would
not come. l coaxed and coaxed, blu
all she would do was to say, " Me-
won't 90 till the little bird comes"
had not intended to tell her an un
truth. | had done as | had heard lots
of mothers do-said anything to keeJ
her still. When finally convinced tina
the bird was a myth she came home
with me, but with very poor grace anC
very bad temper.
A long, long time after this | wa
spending the afternoon with he
mamma. / asked her to do some little
thing, at the same time making her {
promise in regard to it. She stood fo
an instant in the middle of the room
looking at me with the most comica
knowing look on her baby face, an,
said, with shrug of her shoulders
"Guess it will be like the little bird,
and turned and walked out of TIT
room, | was surprised as a matter O
course, but learned enough from thi